When it comes to the family business of crab fishing in the Bering Sea, captain Sig Hansen couldn't keep his 18-year-old daughter at bay anymore.

"I loved it!" says Mandy of her gig as the "bait girl" aboard her dad's fishing vessel on the latest season of Discovery's Deadliest Catch. "I finally got my shot out there."

But for Captain Sig, having his youngest daughter with him in the open water wasn't so easy. "I was panicked from the time she got on until the time she left," he says. "It's one thing to have your brothers out there, but to have your daughter it's a little different."

While Sig was initially against the idea of Mandy joining him, he couldn’t refuse her requests to join the crew. "She had been pestering me to come out with us," says Sig. "But she was in high school and taking a few college courses at the same time, so I didn't think there was any way she could change her schedule."

When the teen actually managed to pull it off, he had no choice but to say yes. "I put my foot in my mouth and she said, 'Well, it looks like you are getting another guest.' "

Mandy's duties onboard ranged from slicing up codfish to putting together bait sacks full of chopped sardines. "I had no idea what I was getting into," she says. "I just wanted to tackle the challenge so I went for it."

Even though her dad may be the captain, it didn't mean she received any special treatment. "I was just like another greenhorn getting on board. These guys are my family, I've grown up with them and I know the crew, but they weren't gonna let me slide by."

How did his daughter rank as a member of the tough crew? "My advice to her was don't quit," says Sig. "She did great – I'm so proud of her."